The Drama Of Being Happy
by BadgebunnyUK
Summary: So, I'm taking it back to before all the horror of the last couple of weeks and seeing if there was any possible way that things could have gone slightly differently. Not sure how long this will be.
1. Chapter 1

The Drama Of Being Happy.

_N- I have started a few different fics over the last couple of weeks but my writing, much like that of SW, has just gone everywhere in light of recent events. I'm working on one fic with a Kate ghost, one with Kate in a coma and then I decided that just taking it right back to the moment it all went wrong was the best I could hope for. Not sure how I will move the narrative along, what with no dead Kate, but I will try. _

_Chapter One_

She had been listening for the key in the door for the last ten minutes and set down her pen as she heard her wife returning home. Her wife.

"Did William get off alright?" Caroline asked as Kate poked her head around the door of the study.

Kate nodded. "In plenty of time."

"And what time did you promise Lawrence he could stay out till?" Caroline asked knowingly.

Kate opened her mouth wide but no words arrived. She came into the study and to the back of the chair, placing her hands on the blonde's shoulders and squeezing at the tension gently.

"I said you'd get him at six." She confessed. "partly so I could have you to myself for a few hours."

Caroline groaned, expressing some doubt at this reasoning. "Hmmmm." She murmured as Kate rubbed more firmly at her shoulders.

"I am going to go and make some tea, find my book and then I want you to leave all this and come and rub my feet." Kate informed.

"You know I'm only trying to get things ready for my leave." Caroline defended.

"I know, but Sulgrave Heath is hardly going to fall to it's knees because you take two weeks parental leave."

Caroline stilled Kate's hands with her own. "Is this how it's going to be now, married life?"

Kate kissed the top of Caroline's head. "Yes. You must learn to obey..." She teased.

"They took that line out of the usual vows years ago..." reminded Caroline.

"Did they? You sure? I could have sworn..." Kate teased.

Caroline rose from the chair and met Kate beside it, her arms circling her waist. The baby bump squeezing in between them.

"It was nice to see everybody but I'm glad I have you to myself again." Caroline told her wife, kissing the smug smile that Kate produced.

"Me too, Mrs McKenzie-Dawson." Kate grinned, planting a kiss on Caroline's mouth. "You have five minutes." She promised, turning and heading back into the kitchen.

Xxx

Celia had stayed at the farm following the family meal on Sunday. She had actually been quite impressed with Gary. He seemed nice enough and he certainly had a bob or two. She wasn't sure about his wife. Alan was right when he had said that there was an undercurrent with the pair of them, something you couldn't quite put your finger on.

She hadn't bothered to call Caroline last night or let her know where she was. Ordinarily she would have received some contact from Caroline to ascertain her whereabouts. Even just a text. Caroline had remained silent however and Celia supposed that her daughter was still angry with her. If she were to be pushed into a corner over the whole wedding business she would admit that she regretted not attending. Especially now that she and Alan were working things out anyway. She could see that she had hurt Caroline, she had made that very clear, dragging up nonsense from the past to try and shame her into going. No matter how you stood by your children it would always be the day's you didn't make it, the days you were something other than perfect that they would remember and hold against you for the rest of your life. Caroline would discover that one day with her own.

Celia decided that rather than ring her daughter now she would just go back to Harrogate this afternoon and slip back into life as usual. Caroline would be at work now anyway, there was no point bothering her there. Alan agreed to drive over with her after lunch and they were back long before Caroline returned from school.

"You know what she said to me yesterday?" Celia asked as she sat in her granny flat, tea in hand gazing out at the garden.

"Hmmm?" Alan asked, looking up from the days Guardian.

"You may as well forget that we have any kind of relationship." Celia used her snooty Caroline voice.

"She'll have been angry, hey! and she had every right to be, don't you forget." Alan piped up.

Celia raised an eyebrow at him and he quickly went back to his paper.

"She'll be alright." Celia said aloud to reassure them both.

Xxx

Caroline shut the door on the rest of the world and sighed as she dropped her car keys on to the table. She hung her coat and watched as Lawrence made his way up to his room via the fridge without even pausing to take off his.

A few minutes later she found Kate curled into the sofa with a baby book in her arm.

"Mmmm, is it that time already? Must have nodded off." She explained, sitting up and rubbing her eyes open.

"Hello My darling wife!" Caroline grinned. "How was your day?" She moved to make them some tea.

"I spoke to you at lunchtime. Not a great deal has happened since then." Kate said, fussing with her sleep flattened hair.

Half an hour later as they shared a pot of tea and Kate began making plans for dinner, the sound of the handle on the patio door floated across the room. Kate instinctively looked around to see her new mother-in-law trying the handle again and pushing at the door without success. Kate slipped off her stool to go and open the door.

"No." Caroline halted her. "I'll go."

Kate slipped back onto the stool and watched as Caroline turned the key and opened the door just a few inches.

"Yes?" Caroline asked.

"I'm back." Celia said. "I stayed at the farm last night, in case you were wondering. Met Gary...Alan's...little surprise...you know."

Caroline still barred the entrance to the kitchen and Celia wrapped her cardigan more closely around herself with a frown.

"I don't need to know when you do and don't decide to stay out. It's your business." Caroline remarked ignoring the second piece of information.

"Well aren't you going to let me in?" Celia asked indignantly.

"No." Caroline stated. "From now on, if you wish to see the boys they can come over to you, you can text or ring them, whichever you prefer. I'm sure Lawrence will be glad to come over and sit with you, the pair of you are thick as thieves these days." Caroline said calmly but not not without a sting in the tail.

"Caroline!" Her Mother let out. "Don't be ridiculous. I know you're not happy about yesterday, I apologised for that. But you can't be seriously going to carry this on, drag it out..."

"I did warn you Mother. I want nothing more to do with you. This is not of my making." Caroline closed the door and turned the key, pulling the handle again to check that the door was closed. As Celia stood, arms crossed, mouth open, her daughter began to draw the long curtains. Celia stamped a foot and made her way back to her flat.

Kate had watched her wife quietly as this scene had played out, her gasp as Caroline shut her mother out had gone unnoticed but now she moved to Caroline's side. Anyone who didn't know her better would have seen a calm, determined woman taking a practical course of action but as Kate reached her, she felt the trembling of her body, pulling Caroline close she waited for the tears to fall. Very few actually materialised and Caroline pulled her head up from it's place on Kate's shoulder.

"Are you sure about this?" Kate asked softly.

Caroline nodded, before her forehead fell lightly against Kate's. "I am. I don't want her in here. I don't want her around our family. I don't want her treating you or our child as if...you don't matter. I won't have it."

Kate understood. Ironically it had been similar to her feelings when she had first fallen pregnant and stayed away from Caroline. If Caroline wasn't able to stand up for their relationship, how would she be able to be proud of a child, of a family? And now here she was. People could change.

"You don't have to do this for us." Kate told her, even though she cherished the intention.

"I'm doing it for me too." Caroline told her honestly, a slight shrug, her arms hung around Kate's shoulders.

Kate nodded and closed her eyes as she felt Caroline's lips touch hers.

"Please. Keep the door locked. I don't want her in here through the day either." Caroline looked sternly at Kate, who cringed uncomfortably and looked away from her wife.

"What about me popping over there?" Kate asked.

Caroline shrugged. "I'd really rather you didn't, but it's up to you of course." She allowed.

Kate wrapped her arms around Caroline's waist and put her head against her chest, her large tummy meaning she had to arch over a little awkwardly to get as close to Caroline as she wanted.

"If it's what you want, I'll stick by it." Kate vowed.

Caroline let out a heavy breath and kissed the side of Kate's head, just beneath her ear. "You see, maybe you're getting the hang of this obeying malarkey as well." She whispered sweetly.

Kate pulled back and narrowed eyes at Caroline. She knew what she was doing. She was done discussing. Crack a joke, move on. But Kate knew there would be much more to come.

Xxx


	2. Chapter 2

The Drama of Being Happy

Chapter two.

"Come on, come on Caroline, where are you!?" Kate listened to the ringing tone over and over and then the click as the answer machine cut in. She hung up the phone, she had already left three messages.

Kate paced up and down the hallway, phone still in her hand. Who could she call?

"Beverly? Hi it's Kate...McKenzie-Dawson."

"Oh! Kate, how are you?" Beverly asked happily.

Kate smiled into the handset. "I'm good, fine thank you. I was just...trying to get in touch with Caroline, she doesn't seem to be answering her phone?"

"Oh, yes. I think she's left it on charge in her office. She went out for a meeting with Gavin. Is it anything important? I could try his mobile for you?" She offered, ever helpful.

"Yes, if you would, it's just...I'm..." Kate creased as she felt another cramp start to build, her muscles tightening painfully. "I'm having contractions, It's started, the labour..." Kate screwed up her eyes and braced herself with a hand against the wall.

"Ohmygoodness!" Beverly burst. "I'll try and get her now...I'll call you back...are you...alone?" Beverly asked.

"Yegh." Kate managed.

"Right, I'll call you back in one minute.!" Beverly slammed down the phone and Kate took a deep breath, she moved back into the living room and bent over the back of the sofa. Her heart was pounding and she felt herself over heating, she breathed again, trying to remember the advice from her birthing classes.

Just as the contraction had peaked and was beginning to wane, Kate felt the phone vibrate in her hand.

"Yes?" She asked breathlessly.

"Kate. I'm sorry. Gavin must have his phone on silent. I rang the school the meeting was at and they say they have just left. They should be on there way back here, but it's lunch time now, I don't know if they may stop off for a sandwich."

"Where? Where was the meeting?" Kate asked.

"Leeds." Beverly admitted. "I'm sure they won't be long. Caroline has a parent coming in to see her at two, she'll be back for that. Is there anyone else I can contact for you?"

Kate had checked the drive when she felt the pains begin. Celia was in. But how would Caroline feel about that? Should she try and drive herself into hospital? Surely if she just asked the woman for a lift, Caroline couldn't be cross with her for that. Not under the circumstances?

"It's alright. I think Celia is in. I can ask her to drive me to the hospital. Could you just have Caroline call me as soon as she get's in?"

"Of course! And I'll keep trying Gavin's phone, he might switch the sound back on."

"Thank you."

Xxx

That first day, once Kate had agreed to cut off Celia, was the hardest. Kate had waved off Caroline and Lawrence at the door in the morning and gone back into the kitchen only to be startled by the figure of Celia looming at the glass door.

Kate opened up directly but stood at the threshold. "I'm sorry." She began. "Caroline has asked me not to let you in." She offered meekly, unable to look Celia in the eye.

"Really? And you think that's alright do you? Locking a pensioner out in the cold?" Celia accused dramatically.

Kate frowned. She wouldn't point out that Celia hadn't come very far, or that all of this was of her own making.

"I have to do what she's asked." She explained.

"I thought this was your house as well now? You put money into it didn't you? Don't you have a say?" Celia tusked.

Kate nodded. "That's true, but Caroline has asked me to stand by her decision and I have agreed to do that. So..."

"It's disgraceful!" Celia burst. "She would never treat me this way..."

"You hurt her." Kate stated simply. "You devastated her. She wanted to share something with you. She has been longing for your approval over this for so long and just for that day she wanted you to stand by her and say, yes, I recognise that, I see who you are and I love you anyway, I love you _for_ it. For being brave. For refusing to hide any longer." Kate thought back to the words that Caroline had used on their wedding day.

Celia listened but folded her arms in protection. "It wasn't about her, It wasn't about the two of you..."

"Well, it should have been." Kate said firmly, she felt her hands shaking as she closed the door. She had decided to go out shopping for the rest of the day, the rest of the week maybe, she hated confrontation, she would avoid it at all cost. She popped upstairs to get changed.

Xxx

"So, you are soon to be a mum again?" Gavin commented as he took the seat facing Caroline and dove into his baguette.

Caroline stirred her tea, watching for just the right strength. "Yes." She agreed. "Not long now."

Gavin raised his brow, he was used to Caroline keeping things close to her chest. It had taken her a year to accept him using her first name and much longer before she had disclosed anything to him about a family or personal life. Things had changed over the last year though, she had had to come to him when she and Kate had finally got together and he had been delighted when he received an invitation to the wedding.

"Must be strange? Starting all that again, just when the boys are all grown up. I don't think I'd have the energy." He admitted. "You're a brave woman Caroline."

"It won't interfere with my work, Kate will be the primary carer..." Caroline started.

Gavin raised a hand. "I wasn't.." He cut in. "I don't doubt your dedication to your work, to your career. I fully expect you to continue to give everything to the school, and probably half of that would be enough to keep me and anyone else happy." He assured her.

Caroline let her shoulders shrink, standing down. "Sorry." She offered. "It is...a little overwhelming. Kate is so excited..." She smiled at the thought then paused, another look crossing her face. "I worry too much." She dismissed.

"About?" Gavin pushed on.

"The risks, older mothers have more risks, gestational diabetes, hypertension, pre-eclampsia, placental problems, instrumental delivery, cesarean sections, increased rates of late still birth..."

"Is that all?" He teased.

"Than there's how we'll cope if everything goes smoothly. How other people will respond to us as a family..." Caroline prodded her salad with her fork. "You did ask..." She reminded cheekily.

"Everyone's been fine about that though? haven't they, nobody's said anything?" Gavin asked.

Caroline smiled slightly. "Not to my face." She acknowledged. Then shook her head at herself. "It'll be fine. I'm sure. It's just all happened so quickly. I hardly got used to facing the fact that I'm gay and now I have to stand up everyday with my family and shout from the rooftops...what is it?..."We're here, we're queer, get used to it!" She punched the air with her fist, fork still in hand, a slight blush at having shared so much with a colleague.

Gavin nodded. He hadn't ever really thought of it in those terms. "She's worth it though isn't she, Kate?" He asked. He had seen Caroline's face at the wedding, the way she had looked at Kate, he had no doubt about their love for one another.

"God yes!" Caroline grinned. "Have you seen her?!"

Gavin chuckled. "Too right I've seen her!"

"Oiy!" Caroline stabbed her fork perilously close to his hand. "She's taken!"

Xxx

Kate had been timing the contractions now for over an hour, since she'd gotten out of the bath and they were, as expected, getting closer together. She had thought for a little while that they may be braxton hicks, she wasn't due yet, not for a few weeks, but babies didn't pay much attention to such pesky details.

Kate checked again that her hospital bag was by the door and pulled on her coat, heading through the kitchen to the door that had been locked for the last few weeks. She turned the key and slipped out onto the crunch of the stones, heading for Celia's.

"Please be in." She murmured as she tapped on the glass.

A few moments later she heard someone coming to the door. Celia appeared looking surprised and suspicious.

"Oh yes? What can I do for you?" She said cooly.

"I wondered if I could trouble you for a lift...?" Kate explained.

Celia looked as though she thought the request was a liberty and was about to say so until she saw Kate's arm cradle her bump as she inhaled sharply.

"You're not?" Celia asked suddenly. "You're not having it now are you?"

Kate attempted a smile but what arrived was a grimace. "A lift to the hospital?" She asked.

Celia sprang back into the room fetching her jacket, phone and keys. "Come on." She instructed. "Where the hell is Caroline?"

"At school." Kate said. "Or a meeting, she'll meet me at the hospital..." Kate hoped.

"Right, well, get your bag." Celia urged walking ahead of Kate into the main house and locking the door behind her.

Kate decided to get into the back seat of the car, she would have more room to maneuver, she didn't want to distract Celia with her writhing in agony.

As Celia started the engine, casting a glance over the seat towards Kate, another car turned into the drive. Kate recognised it immediately as the old wreck that John drove and he had just blocked them in. Celia placed her hand on the horn for a long blast, yet John continued to get out of his car and meander over to them, ducking his head to look into the car and see who were it's occupants.

Celia pushed the button to open the passenger side window. "Move the car, we are in a hurry!" She called as a greeting.

"Something the matter?" He asked, hands in pockets, poking the gravel with the toe end of his shoe.

"Kate's having the baby!" Celia bellowed. "Move that piece of junk out of our way!"

John finally stood to attention. "What? Now?"

"Get a move on!" Celia complained, beeping the horn again loudly, until he began to quickly back his way up to his vehicle, almost tripping over himself.

Kate began panting slightly as she felt another contraction building, more painful, more overwhelming than the last. She gripped the leather corner of the headrest in front of her and moaned a little.

"Alright sweetheart. We'll get you there!" Celia promised putting her foot down and speeding out of the drive, almost clipping John's rust bucket on her way.

A few minutes later as Kate came through the worst of her current contraction she noticed Celia looking unhappily through the rear view mirror.

"Why is that pillock following us?" The older woman asked herself.

Kate turned to look out of the rear window and saw John in the car behind them as they pulled up at a set of traffic lights.

"Christ sake." She whispered as John waved cheerfully at her. "Where the fuck is Caroline?" She said more loudly.

Celia smirked a little, she had never heard the gentle Kate use such language. "She'll be here." Celia promised.

Xxx

A/N- Thank you for the kind reviews. xx


	3. Chapter 3

The Drama Of Being Happy.

_A/N- Hey folks, been really busy the last week so sorry about the delay, however the next chapter is nearly done so should be up soon. Thank you for all the kind feedback. _

Chapter Three.

Caroline's heels click clacked on the linoleum floor, announcing her arrival even before she swung into the room.

"Kate!" Caroline called as she spotted her wife sitting high on the hospital bed, in a plain gown.

"Caroline!" Kate called anxiously as she turned her eyes to the blonde.

"I'm here!" Caroline pushed her way through to the bed and reached for Kate's hand, clasping it in both of hers. "I'm here." She said again.

Kate pulled the plastic covering that was feeding her the entinox, away from her mouth again and glared at Caroline. "Where the hell were you?!" She asked, her voice raw and husky from the sucking at the gas and air.

Caroline moved forward, brushing Kate's sweat slicken forehead with her hand and landing a kiss there. "I'm so sorry, I hadn't charged the phone enough and I was with Gavin in Leeds..."

"I know, I know..." Kate said impatiently. Tightening her grip on Caroline's hand and cutting off the blondes circulation. Caroline was about to comment but thought it best to bite her lip.

Caroline caught sight of her Mother and John on the far side of the room, she frowned and looked back to Kate, who suddenly moved the mask back over the lower half of her face and began breathing deeply from it, a deep moan came from her, muffled by the mask but still not a sound that Caroline had ever heard her make before.

"She's in a lot of pain." John pointed out helpfully.

"No shit, Sherlock!" Caroline sniped.

"She's thinking of having an epidural." John informed, arms crossed, rocking back on his heels, looking to all as if he had a great breadth of experience of women giving birth.

Caroline looked quickly back to Kate, a question in her eyes. "That wasn't...? That wasn't part of the birthing plan?"

"You weren't here!" Kate accused unhappily.

"I told her, take whatever's on offer!" Celia piped up from her place against the wall.

"Plans do change." John commented, nodding seriously.

Kate groaned loudly and twisted her grip on Caroline's hand. Caroline nodded herself into action.

"Right!" She announced. "You two, out!" She swiped her hand in their general direction.

John looked more put out than Celia, she almost heard his inner "charming!".

"I appreciate you getting Kate here and staying with her...but I am here now, so we would like you both to leave." Caroline instructed rubbing her free hand over Kate's shoulder and across the muscles of her shoulders and back.

Celia turned to the door first. "I'll be outside." She told no one in particular.

John followed her lead as Caroline called at their backs. "No!" two heads turned. "No. We'd like you to leave, the hospital. I don't know how long it'll be and...we planned to do this alone, just the two of us."

"You'll let us know?" John asked passing Celia out into the corridor now.

Caroline nodded. "Of course."

"I don't mind staying..." Celia said with a shrug, trying to read her daughters look.

"No. Thank you." Caroline replied quickly, firmly.

Xxx

"How dilated is she?" Caroline asked the perky young midwife.

"Eight centimeters." The woman replied. "It's a good thing she didn't have the epidural in the end, it slows everything right down. It shouldn't be too long now." She smiled.

Caroline nodded. "Not long now sweetheart." She soothed. "She's coming. We're going to finally get to meet her. Our baby girl!" Caroline's eyes teared up and Kate placed the plastic over her face again.

"What's that?" Caroline asked as she spotted the machine attached to Kate's stomach.

"We are just monitoring babies heart rate, making sure she's okay in there." The midwife explained.

"And is she?" Caroline noticed that the machine had a long strip of paper spewing from it and on the paper she could see scribbles of red pen at various intervals.

"Heart rate has dropped a little from time to time, it's nothing to be concerned about at the moment, we just need to keep an eye on it." The woman, younger than Caroline, probably not a mother, told her casually.

"What exactly does that mean?" Caroline asked, looking down the bridge of her nose.

"Nothing at this stage, we just want to be sure baby doesn't become distressed." The midwife offered as explanation.

"Caroline?" Kate asked. "Is she alright?"

Caroline wanted to question further but was conscious now of upsetting Kate.

"She'll be fine darling, don't worry. You just focus on getting her out of there." Caroline instructed kissing the back of Kate's hand and pulling it into her chest.

"It bloody hurts!" Kate puffed. "Really, really hurts!"

"I know darling. But you're doing fantastically. I'm so proud of you." Caroline whispered, landing a kiss on Kate's soft hair and stroking her hand over it.

She was taken back to her own experience of birth, what she could remember of it. John had been around when William was born but she had invented several errands to send him on when his annoying levels of encouragement had gotten unbearable. Her mother had also been there. Celia had held her hand and been a quiet reassuring presence and in that final moment where her son had surfaced, sticky and screaming and Caroline had been flooded with joy and relief, she felt she had never been closer to her own Mother, met with a new knowledge and respect for what Celia herself had been through in order to bring Caroline into the world.

William had been a perfect little bundle, he had screamed only until he was nestled in his mothers arms, where he had turned his large unseeing eyes on her and she had known, without question that she would never love anything or anyone more than she loved this new life.

Caroline so wanted for Kate to experience that feeling. She had waited so long for it. She had fought for it. Suffered such loss in the pursuit of it. She deserved it.

Caroline just hoped that she too would feel some link, some bond to their child, she knew it couldn't be the same and that she may have to work at it, but wouldn't her maternal instinct take over in the end? Wouldn't all her doubts be banished by the sight of the tiny girl, who was about to make her entrance?

"Caroline!" Kate moaned, reaching her other hand for Caroline's arm, moving onto her side somewhat and clutching at her desperately.

Caroline's eyes flicked again to the large clock on the wall. There was now no gap between Kate's contractions, she was hit one after the other with building, crushing, unrelenting levels of pain.

"Alright darling." Caroline cooed. "You're doing it, she's coming, just keep going my love."

The midwife who had introduced herself as Claire had disappeared momentarily and now returned with another, older woman in the same uniform. They stood huddled together at the machine that monitored the baby's heart rate and spoke in quiet murmurs.

Caroline wanted to find out what was being discussed but she didn't have chance as Kate twisted and let out another yelp. Caroline perched herself on the bed, getting in a little behind Kate and wrapping an arm around her back as Kate lurched forward. It was almost a blessing that Kate was in too much pain now to notice what was going on with the staff and the small machine, still pumping out a wavey line and displaying large square digital numbers. Caroline had been keeping an eye on them too. There was a kind of pattern, and as the numbers got lower she felt a dread until she saw them rise again, trying to attribute meaning to the peaks and troughs that she didn't really understand.

A man now entered the room in different coloured scrubs to the ones that the two midwives, who trailed behind him, wore. His a vibrant blue where theirs were a pale green.

"I'm Doctor Pacsal." He offered with a curt nod of his head before he began to examine the printout and then Kate herself.

At this point Kate was public property it seemed, anyone could come in and see her in this most vulnerable of states, Kate barely noticed and the medical professionals were not interested now in the niceties.

The Doctor addressed the women and another nurse who had appeared at his elbow and then spoke again to Caroline and Kate.

"We are going to take a small blood sample from baby's scalp. Just to be certain that your baby is not distressed in there. Okay?" He asked them both.

"What?!" Kate asked now.

"It is just a precaution at this stage, but if we don't do it then we don't know exactly how baby is getting along. It will not hurt the baby or cause any problems. We can do it now and you won't even notice." The doctor had an air of complete efficiency which reassured Caroline and she rubbed at Kate's arm to comfort them both.

"It's alright." She told her wife. "He knows what he's doing, we have to let him get on with it."

Kate searched Caroline's eyes fearfully and was met with solid assurance.

Kate nodded at Caroline and then at the Doctor, who smiled and was gone again as the women prepared for the procedure.

One of the midwives came forward now to help Kate focus on her breathing and get through the contraction, but also it occurred to Caroline, as a distraction from what else was happening in the room.

Kate had begun to flag, she was now getting so tired that far from participating in the contractions, working with them and using them, she now struggled to endure them and merely let them trample over her.

The doctor appeared again at the foot of the bed with three other members of staff , taking the count up to six now in the small room. Caroline swallowed down her alarm, needing to stay clam for Kate. The accented Doctor was now wearing a shower cap style scrub over his thick dark hair and was wearing a pair of gloves.

"Kate?" He asked. "We need to get your baby out now and she may need a little help."

A cesarean? Caroline knew that Kate really didn't want that and after all these hours of labour.

"We will try the ventouse and may decide to use the foreceps, you have heard of these yes?" The bearded Doctor asked.

Kate had gone rigid in Caroline's arms as she heard the Doctors words.

"No." She said now, pushing herself upright a little where she had lain slumped against Caroline. "I can do it." She said. "I can get her out." She added. "Please, let me try."

The Doctor considered Kate quickly. "You have 15 minutes." He nodded sharply and left the room.

"Ok then Kate." The older midwife who had come forward and was taking charge spoke loudly to Kate. "Let's get that little one out here shall we?"

Kate nodded, concentrating hard on the voice, on being in the room, on doing this.

"Okay. So when you feel the contraction build right to the peak you need to push with it, you'll feel when it's best." She told Kate.

Kate was slowing her breaths as she waited for the pain to grow, she held fast to Caroline's arm and pushed back against her and against the bed as Caroline felt her put all her strength into pushing down at her core.

"That's right." The midwife called. "Just a few more of those and she'll be here."

Another push, Kate looking determined, still in pain but pushing on.

"Good girl." Caroline said. "Well done. You can do it Kate, you can sweetheart!"

Kate nodded again and began her breathing as she readied for the next chance.

"Okay, push everything you've got into this one." The midwife bellowed.

Kate did as instructed and a scream ripped from her in the process.

Caroline wished silently that she could take some of the pain for herself, she hated seeing Kate like this and not being able to do anything about it. Not able to fix it for her.

Caroline noticed Doctor Pascal pop his head around the doorway and question the midwife with a look.

The midwife nodded. "She's coming." She said and Pascal dashed away.

"Come on Kate. I can see baby's head, one more push and the head will be out." Midwife said.

"Come on darling, you are doing so well! Almost there." Caroline said, kissing the top of Kate's head. At this point she was thinking only of getting Kate through this, she hardly thought of the imminent arrival.

Kate gritted her teeth and gave a deep throated grunt as she put all her might into the push that delivered the baby's head.

Caroline suddenly realised as she did so that the baby was here, she hopped down from the bed and took a step, curious to get a glimpse of Kate's child. She could see the head, it looked fake, plastic, unmoving, the lips looked blue, was there something wrong?

The next moment Kate pushed again and Caroline saw the body of the baby released into the waiting arms of the midwife. There was no cry, no wriggling and Caroline checked the face of the midwife for a verdict. The midwife quickly passed the baby to another waiting pair of hands and Caroline's attention was drawn to a woman she hadn't noticed before, who was taking the baby over to a small trolley a few feet away from Kate's bed.

Kate was watching carefully now and called urgently to Caroline. "Go with her!"

Caroline moved soundlessly to where the woman was attending the baby. She was putting some kind of suction device into the baby's mouth and then placed a small mask over the tiny face. That moment seemed the longest of Caroline's life so far as she saw the lifeless body suddenly come alive and she saw the mouth gasp and take air of it's own accord, then a tiny cough and a splutter of a cry sounded.

Caroline heard Kate sob from the bed and suddenly the female Doctor, whoever she was, was pushing a wrapped bundle of baby into Caroline's arms.

"Here you go." She said with a smile.

Caroline looked down at the little girl, blinking back, her face filling now with colour, her mouth working, open, close, open, little fists balled against the injustice of the world.

Caroline made her way quickly to Kate's side and delivered the baby to her mother, she felt the tears streaming down her own face and smiled lovingly at Kate who reached for her child. Caroline felt the complete honor of being the person who finally handed this gift to Kate, the person to see that look on her face, to share that elation and she did share it. She felt already that she would do anything to defend this baby, anything to keep her safe and loved.

"She's perfect!" Caroline told Kate. "You were perfect!" She added. "You were magnificent!" She dipped forward and kissed Kate on the lips.

Kate beamed at Caroline, her eyes and her smile lit up in a way that Caroline was sure they never had done before. The room which only a moment ago had been like a busy station platform was now quiet, only one woman sat at the foot of the bed. Caroline realised later that she was stitching Kate, though Kate paid her no attention.

Caroline ran a fingertip lightly over the black head of the baby, the hair soft as velvet.

"She's so beautiful." Kate whispered as if not wanting to disturb the baby, though she didn't sleep.

"She looks like you." Caroline pointed out, causing Kate to grin further. "She had me worried there for a moment." She mumbled.

"But she's here!" Kate said. "She's here and she's okay." Kate stroked her fingers over the miniature one's of her daughters fist.

"She is. She's lovely." Caroline felt fresh tears spill and tried, unsuccessfully, to shake them away.

Kate reached for Caroline, pulling her closer, into her universe, built for three. The baby gave a small squawk and both women chuckled.

"I love you." Caroline vowed quietly. "I love you both."

Xxx


	4. Chapter 4

The Drama Of Being Happy.

A/N- So this chapter is Celia centric. I tried to understand her as best I could, from her point of view, so if people are still angry with Celia, as I am myself, prepare for some stuff you are not going to like.

Chapter four.

Celia had decided to visit the hospital canteen after being rudely asked to leave Kate's bed side. Caroline was obviously still holding a grudge but she didn't own the building and Celia would go where she liked. This hospital was one of the more modern ones in the area, the fixtures and fittings were still clean and new and the canteen was very up to date. Celia had ordered a pot of tea and a slice of carrot cake and carried her tray over to a table in the window. That was the problem with hospitals. No air. At the time when fresh air could likely do you the most good, these places were like a vacuum and even sitting up against the window gave you no relief from the oppression.

Should she leave as Caroline had requested? It was a free country, if she wanted to stay on for a cup of tea, there wasn't anything Caroline could do about it. It felt wrong to leave. But then the last few weeks had felt wrong. Not speaking to her daughter every day had left a void that even Alan, Gillian, Calalmity and the day to day drama of the farm couldn't fill.

"She just needs a bit of time..." Gillian had assured, on the days it had suited her to play peace maker.

Celia couldn't work out if Gillian thought Caroline was a great friend or a snotty cow most of the time. Just when she thought the two of them were not even on speaking terms she'd hear that they'd had a nice long chat and were conspiring about something or other. She couldn't really imagine what either of them had in common other than the fact that neither of them seemed to have other friends.

Gillian was alright, Celia supposed but even when she thought she could grow to be fond of the woman Celia was reminded that Gillian was Alan's daughter, she would always be on her Dad's side first and foremost. Celia couldn't blame her for that, it was only right, to be expected. But all this business with Gary...Celia had decided she would deal with it and move on but, it had changed the way she looked at Alan and she wanted to talk to Caroline about that. She knew Caroline would be sympathetic, supportive, would know the right thing to say. She always did.

Celia had been sitting so long now her tea had grown cold in the cup, only half gone. A young woman with a slightly mucky dish cloth, swiping it ineffectually around the rows of tables smiled at her.

"Alright?" She asked. "Want another?"

"Yes please love." Celia replied looking around quickly and noticing that the cafe had grown quiet and only contained another two individuals, each in their own corner, in their own thoughts. "I might be a while." She mumbled.

"You visiting?" The girl asked, whisking away the mug.

"Waiting for a baby." Celia supplied. "My daughter, well, not her, she had her boys many years ago...her girlfri...no! Wife now, I should say."

The girl nodded. "That's nice." and left to refill Celia's drink.

Not a bat of an eyelid, Celia mused. She never relished telling people about Caroline's "situation". She knew that people pretended not to care, but she also knew that they really did. Perhaps, if she really looked at it. Part of the reason she had missed the wedding was that she wasn't totally comfortable with all that yet. Was that so wrong? She was trying. She had come a long way. She was from a different time. Had she used her issue with Alan as an excuse, a convenient way to opt out of something that she felt it very difficult to understand. Wouldnt' she have been a hypocrite, standing there in her new hat, giving her blessing. After all, it wasn't just Kate that Caroline was taking on.

"A baby with two mums." Celia said as the girl returned with her fresh cup of tea.

"My Auntie Helen and her girlfriend adopted two kids, boy and a girl. They're very happy." The girl said with a shrug. "I wouldn't worry."

The girl left, her dirty blonde hair scraped back in a pony tail, swished away. Celia would guess she was about the same age as William, though somehow the over sized apron made her look younger. Celia watched as she swiped at the next table with her cloth and moved on.

Celia hadn't taken Caroline seriously that day. The wedding day. She' hadn't really even heard the words that Caroline had said, she couldn't remember most of the conversation later, she had been thinking while her daughter spoke only of how she would feel facing all those people. Humiliated, as if, on taking one look at her they would all know. They would know about Alan's past, his recent deceptions, they would know about Kenneth, they would even know about Frank, choosing Muriel of all people over her. They would take one look at her and see all that, see a woman who couldn't get and keep a good man, a foolish old woman, who actually believed she had at last found happiness.

"...There is absolutely no point in pretending we have any kind of a relationship." Caroline had been angry, she'd been angry with her mother many times before but Celia never would have believed she would take things this far, to just cut her out of her life. She was stubborn, almost as stubborn as Celia herself but she couldn't turn her back on her mother forever. It was surely a matter of time?

Celia's phone beeped and she fished it out of her handbag, squinting at the envelope symbol and pressing at the buttons. It was Alan.

_Any news? x_

He had assured her himself, that the baby was the perfect way for Caroline to realise just how important family was and to know that she needed her mum. Celia would hang around a while and see what happened. She hoped that Kate would be okay. Birth was never easy. She heard people over the years say that their babies had simply slipped out into the world without a fuss, that wasn't Celia's experience. She had nearly died giving birth to Caroline and from that moment on she had felt fiercely that Caroline was why she was here. She had survived, lived only for her daughter for years until she met Alan. With Alan's arrival and then Kate coming on the scene she supposed that mother and daughter had finally taken a step back from one another, they each had someone else that was important to them. Perhaps neither of them had really forgiven each other for that.

Xxx

Celia had walked around the corridors of the hospital, she'd been lost and turned around more than once, but she wasn't really going anywhere, she just didn't want to seize up completely, sat in a plastic backed chair. She headed back to the corridor with the room Kate had been in and saw a gaggle of uniformed bodies heading into the room. Celia got closer, checking, it was Kate's room. Her heart quickened as she moved inside and held back as she listened to Kate's groans and the familiar sound of her daughters voice, reassuring her partner, Celia could see over the top of one girls head, Caroline holding Kate and whispering words of comfort to her.

Celia watched the pair, unobserved. Caroline nodding and telling Kate that she knew she could do it, that she was strong, that she was almost there. Caroline was so absorbed in Kate that she wouldn't have noticed her mother if the elder had suddenly burst into song. Celia could see, like no one else, through Caroline's calm and controlled appearance to her nerves, her fears, the deep concern.

It wasn't that Celia hadn't known that Caroline must love Kate, in a way, a way that Celia realised must be real, her daughter wouldn't do the things she had done on a whim, it was just that she had never seen such a clear demonstration of it before. If anything Caroline seemed to play it down for her mothers was aware of that, she was grateful. She would catch the odd look or interrupt a kitchen cuddle from time to time but Caroline would usually pull away from Kate and busy herself with something else. Celia had hoped that perhaps it proved the relationship was more Kate than Caroline. Yet here and now Caroline looked protective, she looked gentle and fierce at the same time, she looked...devoted. Celia had been so frightened during Caroline's birth, so alone. She watched a little longer, marking the way that Kate accepted Caroline's support, her eyes fixed on her wife, their hands fastened. The two of them together, looked like a team. A team doing the most amazing thing anyone can ever do. It somehow seemed natural, in a way that Celia found surprising, in a way that it never had to her before.

The young midwife who had been present earlier saw Celia by the door and looked at her questioningly.

"I'm the grandma." Celia said quietly. "I just wanted to check in." She said as she backed out of the room. Celia stood now, just outside the open door and listened as a few minutes later Kate gave birth to her baby. Celia had seen the Doctor with the trolley of supplies, a crash cart she had heard it called somewhere, dashed into the room at the last minute and reappeared after Celia had heard the joyous sound of the baby's first cry.

"Is she alright?" Celia had asked as the busy woman left the room.

"She's gorgeous." The woman grinned as she passed quickly onto the next life, the next miracle.

Xxx

Caroline had very gently popped the new born into her vest and the baby gro with little roses covering it, that Kate had carefully picked out as her favourite. The baby girl had suckled at Kate's breast for a minute or two, wriggling as she did, kicking her feet out of the blanket impatiently as she was repositioned and now she had calmed. Still Caroline felt she must handle her with extreme care and Kate watched her as she fell back against the pillows in her clean bed on the ward.

Caroline popped the many little fastens up the legs of the baby gro, careful to match the right ones and then she placed the matching hat over the fluffy head. Caroline picked up the baby and cradled her head carefully as she came around and took the chair next to the bed. Only a curtain gave them the illusion of privacy now and Caroline was aware of the sounds of other babies and new mums in the room of eight beds. She had picked up snatches of conversation over the last few minutes and was building up a picture of the other occupants. One woman seemed to be on to her fourth child and was enjoying her stay in the hospital as "a bit of a break." The very young woman in the bed next to Kate's seemed to have had a premature baby and her mother had been in and out reassuring her and delivering updates on the baby who was in the high dependency unit.

Kate closed her eyes for a moment as she watched Caroline gently rock her, not so fragile, parcel.

"I can't believe she's finally here." Kate mumbled sleepily.

"Me either." Caroline agreed, her eyes unable to detach from the baby. "I managed to get through to your mum, I'm not sure what time it was over there but she was half asleep. She was very excited though. You'll have to ring her yourself, when you've had some rest."

"I don't think I'll ever sleep again." Kate said. "I'm exhausted but I'm so excited. I just want to watch her."

"Hmm, you'll get over that sweetheart. You'll need your sleep." Caroline heard the sound of a nurse calling that it was 9pm. "They're turfing us out." Caroline complained.

Kate frowned. "I wish you could stay." She moaned.

"So do I. But partners have to be out at 9pm." Caroline repeated what she had been told. And moved forward in the chair, delaying passing the baby over until the very last minute and softly brushing a kiss to her head as she did so.

"She's fast asleep." Kate said as she took the child. "I should put her in the cot, I suppose, they say not to let them get used to sleeping in your arms, and you should start as you mean to go on." Kate said making no moves to carry out these actions.

Caroline bent to kiss Kate on the lips and then the cheek, brushing her nose softly over Kate's. "I'll miss you tonight." She whispered. "I'll see you both in the morning."

Caroline moved to the curtains edge. "Do you want me to bring anything in tomorrow?" She asked.

Kate shook her head. "I have everything I need." She informed. "They're bringing me tea and toast in a minute so..."

Caroline grinned, nothing had ever sounded as luxurious as tea and toast in bed after the excitement and anxiety of the last few hours. "Ok. Have a good night then darling."

"Goodnight." Kate called softly, an endless smile curled into the corners of her mouth.

Xxx

Caroline had eaten and now lay on the sofa, the TV was on, spreading a blue green light over the room, but with the sound hardly audible. She had called John, more to check that he had Lawrence with him than anything else and he had congratulated her cheerfully on the arrival of the baby. Now she nodded off in the quiet house, replaying the events of the day over in her mind, some of it still a blur, some of it so vivid.

The phone chirped behind her head and startled her awake. She reached for it automatically and heard a familiar voice on the line. Gillian.

"Caroline!? Congratulations! Are they both alright?" She questioned loudly.

"Yes." Caroline replied, nodding into the receiver. "Kate's fine. The baby, she's perfect. She was 8lb 6oz, so a good size, though she looks tiny to me." Caroline admitted.

"Awwwww, they do though, don't they? Good. Good I'm glad they're okay. Your mum, she was worried, she thought there might have been some complications or something..." Gillian trailed off.

"No, not really. The baby was having a bit of a hard time getting out, I think, but Kate managed by herself, she did really well, ..." Caroline explained wondering where her mother had gotten that information from, she hadn't gone into detail with John. Not that she expected John would have spoken to Celia anyway.

"That's good, good news. Do you want to speak to your mum at all? She's just here." Gillian asked.

"No." Caroline answered quickly. "No, Gillian. You can pass on the message. I don't want to speak to her. Nothing's changed, as far as I'm concerned."

Gillian sighed. "Caroline. Isn't it about time you two sorted out your differences...especially now...at a time like this?"

Caroline sighed too, deeply. "I'm tired Gillian. I 've had a long day and I have to get some sleep so I can be at the hospital first thing. I'm hoping they'll be home tomorrow night."

"Well, we'd all love to come and meet her, once they are settled at home. Has she got a name yet?" Gillian asked dropping her appeal for tonight.

"Flora." Caroline said. "Flora Grace."

"It's sweet." Gillian offered.

"Kate's choice...but, it suits her." Caroline admitted.

"I'll let you go then." Gillian said. "Congratulations, welcome to motherhood, again!" She chuckled as she hung up.

Alan, stood next to her, had been listening carefully to Gillian's side of the conversation. Celia in the other room pretended not to be.

"Flora Grace!" Gillian announced. "Mother and baby both doing well, and other mummy knackered by the sound of it." Gillian took in the question in her dads eyes and lowered her voice. "Give her a couple of days." She told him.

Alan shook his head unhappily and cast a glance over his shoulder to his uncharacteristically silent wife.

Xxxx


	5. Chapter 5

The Drama of Being Happy

A/N- _Having some slight technical difficulties, sorry for any horrific mistakes._

Chapter 5

Caroline turned off the engine and sat back in her seat, casting a glance at the house and the otherwise empty driveway. Then to Kate, she sat still, she'd been quiet since they left the hospital. Caroline assumed she was tired.

"Okay?" Caroline asked as she let her seat belt snap back on itself.

Kate turned her head slightly on the rest and smiled weakly at her wife, her eyes closing briefly as she gave a nod.

Caroline glanced over her shoulder at the loaded car seat, where their daughter was wrapped up like the

"I've imagined it." Kate said. "A hundred times. Bringing home my baby. For a while I thought it was just going to be the two of us. Even after Christmas, for a while, I didn't dare..." Kate trailed off.

Caroline reached across for Kate's hand, understanding.

"It doesn't seem real. I keep thinking, any moment someone is going to stop me and say, sorry, she isn't meant for you, there's been a mistake." Kate's voice trembled.

"Of course she's meant for you. Just look at her. She's so beautiful, she looks just like you. Look at her hair, and her long fingers..." Caroline was stretching to see over the seat to where Flora was. "William was bald as a coot until he was two years old." She remembered suddenly. "He looked like my Grandad."

Kate grinned and tugged on Caroline's hand as she brought her closer for a swift kiss.

Caroline sighed and responded with a kiss of her own, a little more lingering.

"Are you ready to take her inside?" Caroline asked.

Kate nodded and reached for the door.

Xxx

As Caroline struggled through the door with a number of bags and two helium balloons blocking her vision, she heard movement and her youngest son appeared before them in the hallway. Kate had gone before her and stood with her arm through the handle of the car seat. Flora swung beneath her.

"Hi boy's." Kate greeted.

"You're back." Lawrence mumbled, hands in his pockets.

Angus pushed against his friend's shoulder as he moved past him and toward Kate. "Welcome home Miss...I mean Kate." He shook away his mistake as he crouched down in the hallway and took a closer look at the baby.

"Aww, she's so little." He whispered, grinning up at Kate, crinkling his nose.

Caroline would have laughed but as she dumped her baggage on the hallway floor she spotted Lawrence, the dark look and the slump of his shoulders. Would he ever grow out of this sulking?

"Lawrence, meet your little sister." She said, a hand going to her hip, her voice a challenge.

"Great." He said as he turned and made for the staircase.

Angus watched him go and stood tall again. "I'll have to come and have a nosey when she wakes up." He said. "I'm good with babies." He assured Caroline. "My cousins got one, she loves me."

The young red head joined his friend on the staircase and flashed a smile back at his teachers.

Caroline took the car seat from Kate. "Welcome home Flora." She said quietly as she carried her into the lounge.

xxx

Gillian had stood awkwardly in the room until Caroline left to make the tea, now she passed Kate the gift bag and made her way to an armchair.

"Oh! Great." Kate said as she accepted the token. Kate set it on the sofa beside her and took out the card, carefully slipping it from the envelope and opening it up. "Thank you." She offered as she set it to stand on the fireplace, tightly packed with more than a dozen others, all of a similar, pink sparkly vein.

"She asleep?" Gillian asked as she noticed the moses basket at the end of the couch and slid to the edge of her seat to try and peer in at the blanketed bundle.

"Yeh." Kate smiled. "She was so good the first two nights at home and now she seems to have suddenly woken up. She was awake all night, so now she's shattered." Kate sank back onto the sofa, in her sweatpants and jumper, her hair pulled messily back from her make up free face.

She looked tired, Gillian thought, but still beautiful, she suited the natural look.

Kate turned now to Gillian's gift and pulled off the paper to reveal a tiny pair of pink wellington boots.

"I know she won't be able to use them yet, for a while, but what do you get the baby who has everything?" Gillian shrugged nervously.

"They're fantastic!" Kate told her gratefully.

"Thought she could wear em when she comes up to the farm..." Gillian added.

"They're lovely, thank you." Caroline agreed, re-entering the room and passing a cup of tea into Gillian's hands.

"She's gorgeous...Flora." Gillian remarked.

Caroline grinned and sat as close to the basket as she could, gazing at her sleeping daughter. "Yes, she is."

"Kate was telling me you had a bit of a rough night..." Gillian chatted on.

Caroline shot a look at Kate. "She was up a few times...Kate had fed her and then she wouldn't settle. It was probably wind." Caroline defended.

"Caroline eventually got her off again. I think she spent most of the night introducing theoretical chemistry and the fundamental laws of physics to her." Kate revealed as she sipped at her own mug of tea politely.

"That'd send anyone to sleep, I spose." Gillian quipped.

Xxx

Flora had woken and demanded milk, groping around instinctively in Caroline's arms before she was quickly passed to Kate and began to squawk in earnest as she caught the smell of milk that was yet to be served.

Kate unbuttoned her shirt and Gillian averted her eyes as the patient new mother struggled to get the baby latched on while Flora cried and kicked her little legs with surprising strength and determination..

Caroline collected the empty tea cups and and shot Gillian a look urging her to follow into the kitchen, which the farmer obediently did. Kate sending her an apologetic glance as she left the lounge.

"She's a madam when she's hungry!" Caroline commented as they arrived in the pristine kitchen.

"Ahhhh, but breast is best!" Gillian quoted the familiar phrase causing Caroline to pull a face.

"I'd forgotten how difficult it was, the feeding." Caroline admitted. "Well. I seem to remember it wasn't so bad with William, he just got on with it. But Lawrence...I should have known back then he was never going to be easy."

"I didn't feed Raff for long. Got mastitis. I was a bit relieved." Gillian hadn't thought of that for years, not until Calamity had come along and suddenly she was reminded over and over of all the little milestones she had cherished with her son. She had the chance now to relive them through her Granddaughter. Except this time without the fear of being with Eddie, without the worry, the torment.

Gillian scanned the kitchen and shook her head as she recalled the chaos that the farm had descended into when Calamity had arrived without warning. "You two look like you've got everything under control."

Gillian caught sight of another cluster of boxes, unopened baby paraphernalia, gifts probably and another shiny ballon declaring loudly "It's a girl!"

Caroline ran the cups under the hot tap and wiped at them with a dishcloth as she pretended not to listen to the cries coming from the other room.

"You love it though." Gillian said as she realised.

Caroline's attention darted to her now and she smiled ruefully. "I love her." She replied, a little wonder.

Gillian reflected Caroline's great grin right back at her.

"It's like...when other peoples kids are loud or they vomit or y'know...the things they do, it's gross, disgusting, boring!" She said, pointing as she found the last, most fitting word. "But with your own...It's just... Every little thing she does...even the flicker of her eyelids, is amazing, it's wonderful. She pukes up, fills her nappy, it only makes her more adorable! I don't know what that's about." Caroline concluded as she gathered up some tea towels and tossed them into the wash.

"I wasn't sure..." Caroline began, then fell silent, eyes on the counter top. "I wasn't sure I'd feel like that...not straight away..."

The broken cries in the lounge had finally ceased and Caroline inclined her head in that direction. "Come on, while the coast is clear." She instructed. Sharing over.

Xxx

"William!" Celia called in delight. "I didn't know you were home!"

The lanky lad he had been, was barely recognizable these days behind this dapper young gent. He crossed the room swiftly to embrace his grandmother.

"Of course! I couldn't wait to meet my new little sister." He announced easily.

Celia turned quiet as the hug broke off. "Everything okay?" She asked vaguely.

"If you mean is mum alright, then yes, she's in her element." William informed.

Celia nodded, her face looking disgruntled. "She's the one not speaking to me!" She pointed out defensively.

"Granny, I love you, you know that, but you should have been there, The wedding. I don't blame her for finding it hard to forgive you." He shrugged, hands going to the shallow pockets of his tweed jacket.

"What can I do about it now?" Celia spread her arms out helplessly. "I can't turn back time."

"You need to do _something_." He told her honestly. "You need to apologise...properly, you need to tell her why, why you weren't there and you need to make it up to her."

"Oh, simple then!" Celia declared sarcastically.

"I'm going back next door." He said, he didn't trust himself to stay here and not say something to his Grandmother that he couldn't take back. He was as protective of his mum as she was of him and he had seen how much Celia had hurt her, not just this latest incident. Another moment and William had opened the door.

"Wait!" His Grandmother called, reaching a hand out across the space. "Help me with something before you go?" She pleaded.

X

Caroline picked the post up from the mat and shuffled through the pile. Most looked like greetings cards, a couple of bills. She divided them and delivered the largely pink pile to Kate in the lounge.

Caroline flicked the television on and turned the volume down to an acceptable level. She had surprised herself with just how quickly she had gotten into this slower pace of life, the day revolving around Flora's naps and feeds. A trip out to the shops, which had taken most of the day to plan and then execute, had been their only adventure so far. Though they had received plenty of visitors.

Caroline noticed Kate smiling at the contents of one of the cards she had opened, before moving on to the next. Caroline hadn't realised just how popular a person Kate was until the many cards and phonecalls had begun to flood in as news of Flora's arrival had spread. Lawrence had even been reluctantly recruited by some of Kate's past pupils to deliver cards and gifts from school.

"Anyone I know?" Caroline asked, only casually curious at this point.

Kate instantly looked uncomfortable, biting the inside of her mouth before speaking.

"One from Greg." She mentioned. "One from an Aunt, a great Aunt actually, Great Aunt Sophie."

Caroline's brows had shot to their summit, she hadn't been distracted by the Aunt.

"Greg?" She asked, her voice sounding deep, serious, even to her own ears.

"Yes. Just a card." Kate shrugged it off, rising to place the cards along any surface she could find.

"You told him then? Or he heard?" Caroline asked, for some reason hoping for the latter.

"I sent him a text. I thought he should know." Kate explained, her back to Caroline now.

Of course. He has every right, thought Caroline. "He's not going to...?" She began, trailing off, not sure she wanted the answer.

Kate turned at the question. "What?"

"He's not coming to see her is he?" Caroline asked almost fearfully.

Kate moved to sit beside Caroline but made no attempt to touch her yet. "I don't think so." She told her. "He hasn't said. I mean, maybe one day, he might. I suppose. Out of curiosity. I mean, we are still friends... Does that? Does it bother you?" Kate asked.

"Of course it bothers me!" Caroline snapped, then glanced at the sleeping form of Flora, feeling guilty for having raised her voice in her presence. "It always bothered me. It still bothers me. I don't want him any where near her. I know it isn't up to me...but if it was..." She whispered, her hand a fist.

Kate placed a hand over Caroline's, closed her own gentle touch around Caroline's tightly clenched fingers. "If you feel so strongly about it, I can put him off, explain to him. I don't think he'd push it. It was never..."

"...part of the plan!" Caroline finished irritably. "So you've said."

"Caroline." Kate moved one hand to her wife's cheek, guiding Caroline's head to turn slightly in order to have full eye contact. "She's ours." Kate promised.

Xxx

A/N- Hope to be back soon, depends when I can commandeer the wifes laptop. As always, Thank you all for feedback xx


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